Asian Americans Respond to Ferguson Controversy

From a national civil rights group to a concerned mother, Asian Americans are reacting to the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans in a statement said it stands in solidarity with the people of Ferguson “during this time of loss and tragedy.”

Brown is an 18-year old African American teen shot dead by a police officer. Police say Brown was a robbery suspect, but was unarmed when shot .

“While the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have been called in to investigate this particular matter, this is not enough,” said the NCAPA in its statement. “The tragedy of Ferguson is not an isolated incident. Racial suspicion of black men, especially by law enforcement, has become an epidemic in many parts of the country. Thus, we urgently call upon the White House, the Department of Justice, and congressional leaders, to review and address the ongoing pattern and practice of racial violence and systematic discriminatory treatment of law enforcement by communities of color.

“As people of color and immigrants, our own communities’ histories in the United States include violence and targeting, often by law enforcement. From the killing of 19-year old Fong Lee by a Minneapolis Police Officer in August 2010 to the ongoing targeting and surveillance of South Asian, Muslim and Sikh communities in the post-9/11 climate, our communities have experienced the impact of suspicion and discriminatory treatment based on race, national origin and faith. “

Sonia Chopra, an Indian immigrant and mother of a 17-year old teen, wrote in First Post, that she can relate to what happened to Brown.

“I dread being stopped by police at traffic stops or at routine checks. I comply with their instructions, with polite obedience but at no time do I feel safe or secure.

“I am absolutely terrified about my son being stopped by police for any reason, she wrote. “I am so concerned and worried about him that I routinely sit him down and tell him about these incidents.”

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